Lucky find at Marshalls!

Hello,
I am enjoying my summer. I love the three days weekends. (yes, I am teaching summer school again...uuggh) BUT! I am determined to get some crafting done! I decided that I was getting a bit disorganized, and I needed to cut white card panels and have them on hand ready to go. I needed a container of course? What do I store them in?

Jennifer McGuire recommended more clear storage bins. Why not run to Marshalls, and take a look around!  I may just find the perfect thing?! Well, I did! Take a look!

I found what I think was a storage container for the cupboard for gravy packets. It fits perfectly for card bases....three different sizes too! I used red cardstock to separate my watercolor paper from my Neenah Solar white cardstock. Then I cut thick craft dividers a bit taller so I can label each size. 

In my head, the back section is the card base size. The middle section is the dark mat size. and the front section is the light panel size. A majority of the cards I create are A2 size. I do other sizes once in a while, square mostly, but I try to stick with A2.

I am switching my storage from this way. Man, that was 2014?! Time flies in the craft room!

I may have to run back and purchase another one for my birthday and sentiment panels for the inside of the card. hmmmm. It was only $5.99!

Thanks for stopping by, I would love a comment! It would make my day!

What's Within Reach?

Hello again!
I wanted to share with you some pictures of my craft space, but I don't like the videos crafters/bloggers post showing the inside of each drawer and every cupboard. I do not find those interesting or informative. They come across as bragging about their crafting supplies, and how much they have.

I tried to come up with a way to show the items I find helpful to have within reach of where I sit at my desk. Which tools and items to I go to the MOST! Those are the posts I think are interesting. I thought I would share my ideas.

Mind you, I am a very frugal crafter surviving on a teacher's budget. I buy ONLY what I need and I use everything, or I don't keep it around. I have been card making for 5 years, and I have been blogging on and off for only 3.

Several of these items I have created by hand, and I have posts on my blog showing you in detail how you can create one also. I will link to those if you are interested. Leave a comment, I would love to hear your thoughts! I believe you can click each picture to zoom in.

Ohh, yes, I do own stamps! you cannot see them in these images, they are to my left, and not in these photos. Here are the links to the hand made items I mention.

• Cassette holder - Click here
• Shelving - Click here
• Ribbon Storage - Click here
• Ink Swatch book - Click here
• Blending pad binders - Click here & here
• die cut folders - Click here

Old Stashed & forgotten backgrounds come to life!

With the weather being so cold, I got a chance to spend a few quiet evenings in my craft space. I took a few backgrounds that I created a LONG time ago, and finished them off with my new stamp set I recently purchased. I love it when a background you were frustrated with become a beautiful card. I also got the chance to cut more cardstock to form ready-to-go card bases and mats. It speeds up the finishing process SO much. I am actually running out of many vibrant colors of my cardstock stash!

This second set of Duos, I used my FOREVER favorite stamp and I...(deep breath)...I...UNMOUNTED it. This stamp is not in production anymore, and I will be so upset if something happens to it. But with it now unmounted, I was able to use it with my MISTI, and now was allowed to repeat stamp it onto water color paper and got beautiful results. It was so much fun, I had to do it again! 

This one came out wonderfully. I combined ink colors and made my own colors. I know you can't see the detail, but I used perfect pearls to give the butterflies a bit of simmer. The card is shimmery in your hands. The top butterfly was a risk, adding yellow to the busy background, and one I multi-stamped it, it fell into the background and didn't stand out as I had hoped. So I took a black marker and provided a shadow on the right edge of the wing and it brought it to the foreground right away! I know it is a busy looking card, but I love it!

I'm entering a few challenges with these beauties!

Less is More

CAS(E) this Sketch

Happy Little Stampers

Organization of Dies Using my Cricut!

Hello!

I can't express how satisfying it is to envision an organizational idea in my head, and have it come to reality just as I thought it would! I created this WHOLE project myself. (I can be rather stubborn) when I get stuck on something. Here is the problem:

Problem: Need to set up a current organizational system to store my dies that is NOT expensive. and easy to update in the future. NO 3-ring binders or pages. I want something I can flip through and store upright. It must be expandable to incorporate all my future purchases.  I HATE labeling things with those stupid white strips. (everyone uses them - thanks Jennifer McGuire!) I refuse. I want images and pictures.

Solution: Using my cricut, and some magnetic sheeting that my loving husband uses at work, I DON'T have to follow every other card maker's system I see on the internet, and I can have a system that I can call my own. (and share with you).

Tutorial:

I ran across this pad of paper on the sale rack at Walmart. the sale sticker read: "$5.00" by when the check out girl rang it up it read: "$2.50". (what a deal!). This paper is very pretty and seems thicker than other paper I have. 

On the internet I found the SVG of a envelope I liked. It was 3.75" by  4.75", This was just big enough for all my dies. Here is a screen shot:

I put two to a sheet. The dashed lines are perforations that will make the folding easier.

Here are two yellow envelopes after the cricut cut them out. I love how the paper gets darker from top to bottom.

 I folded the envelope and used strong adhesive to seal the edges. The magnetic sheet is on the right cut 3.5" by 4.5".

 I placed my "hello" dies (large and small) together for one envelope. and slid it into the envelope.

 This is the original packaging that the large die came in. (I cut and taped the small die info on it). I cut the front of the package to fit on the front of my new envelope.

Here is the finished product. (only four pictured) I just have to find a container to hold them all now. (or maybe I will create one... lol) I have cut out 30 envelopes thus far all different colors. My collection is small, but I am sure it will grow. I hope I gave you ideas to make your system your own. I will be happy to share the SVG file with you or anything else you want to know, if you leave me a comment. 

Now, I can move on to a new clear stamp system and a system to organize and store my paper scraps too. Stay tuned for more to come!

Pre-Cut Card Layers & Original Storage Boxes

Hello Everyone!

I was in the mood tonight, not to make cards, but to make card-making faster, and more efficient. I searched on google for one question:  "if pre-cutting white and black cardstock was smart, and if it was a good idea, to what size?" I don't have TONS of high quality cardstock to cut and store, but I have a little bit I can use to see if it will make my creative process a bit faster.

I went online onto Splitcoaststampers.com and in a forum. I found a discussion thread about whether most stampers indeed pre-cut their layers. in general, more stampers said "no" than "yes".  phooey. That did not discourage me. I am used to not finding what I am looking for right away. I make my own path sometimes.  :)

After that, I decided I was going to pre-cut a dark mat size that was quarter inch smaller than the card base size on each side, and then the next layer would be a quarter inch smaller than the mat. This layer would be my Neenah Solar white cardstock.

The next question became: "How do I store small amounts of pre-cut cardstock of different sizes, without having the paper warp or bend?" and "I have to have them labeled so not to get them mixed up" Again, google offered no information on this topic that I was impressed with.

So.....I created my own to share. (I am very good at making my own...lol) Take a look below:

 I created two to begin with with the sizes posted on the front. I was afraid with the small box full, the container might topple over, so I glued it to a base. The finished box is 5.5" by 1.25" by 2.5".

 This is a side view of the box with the base to keep it from toppling over.  :) I wanted to create one more to hold the preprinted sentiments that I run through my laser printer for the inside of my birthday cards. I decided I would so you step-by-step how I created it.

 The finished box is small. I cut a piece of thicker cardboard (like cereal box thickness) and I cut it to 10.5 inches by 6.25 inches.

 I scored this cardboard at 2.5 inches on all four sides using my Martha Steward scoring board.

 I cut up on the short sides and folded all the score lines

 I used my ATG tape gun on all four corners. This will ensure that it does not fall apart.

 Bring up the four corners and glue the box together

 Don't forget the piece of cardboard to keep it from toppling over!

 I took some pretty pink flower patterned paper and printed labels for the front of the storage box.

 The label fits perfectly on the front of the storage container.

 Here is a picture of all three containers. The first box on the left is the traditional 1/4 inch smaller layers. Numbered 1,2, and 3.The second box skips a layer (hence the gap) the next layer is 1/2 inch smaller layer. Numbered 1,3, and 4.

 The third box holds regular 20# copy paper pieces that have birthday sentiments in it (in the back) the front ones are the small message size that are blank.

Here are all three pictured together. I am so impressed with my little creations. Now-  I need to decide if I want to pre-cut other color cardstock in addition to black and white. (decisions, decisions). I already have a container FULL of card bases in ALL sorts of colors. I only make A2 sized cards. I rarely make other sizes. I will let you know if I am pleased with my pre-cut layers and if it made me a bit more efficient! :)

Frugal Solution: Teflon Sheet For 16x24/ 5 MIL HIGH QUALITY PREMIUM

Hey,
I needed a new Ranger's craft sheet. Mine was totally beat up, ripped, stained and too small. I was searching for other craft sheets online, when my darling husband told me "It is a TEFLON sheet. They are used for heat presses. Search for that."
Here is what I found on Ebay:

Teflon Sheet For 16x24 Heat Press Transfer Sheet / 5 MILHIGH QUALITY PREMIUM

You'll never guess the price! It is exactly the size of my craft mat I have under my craft sheet. $15.00, + free shipping. It was at my door in 4 days. I LOVE IT! I'm spreading the word. What a difference to my work space. I feel all professional and neat.